


Beautiful Crime

by Caesarsbuddy



Series: Beautiful Crime [1]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Firefighter Mick Rory, M/M, Police Officer Leonard Snart, but it's gonna get there, eventually m/m, i'm not very good at writing smut or fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-28 18:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6340654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caesarsbuddy/pseuds/Caesarsbuddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonard Snart and Mick Rory work as a police captain and fire captain respectively. They've known each other for about 10 years, and they've been rivals since they met.</p><p>They've both been doing their own thing, when in October of 2015 abandoned houses begin to be lit on fire regularly, each time an anonymous call gets to the Star Ciry PD telling about said fire.</p><p>Leonard Snart decides from the beginning to go to the crime scenes by himself. He is the captain after all, and can do whatever he wants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so, this is my first time posting something even remotely serious. I've always liked writing, but I've never picked it up for real.
> 
> This hasn't been beta'd, any errors is all on me. If anyone would like to be a beta reader, let me know in the comments or send me a message over at my tumblr @Caesarsbuddy.
> 
> Title from the song Beautiful Crime by Tamer.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they're part of the DC comic universe.

**10.38PM, 18 October 2015, The Glades - Star City**

As he stands in front of the abandoned two-storey house, red paint flaking off and masses of green growing underneath, he flicks the lighter open and watches the flames start to dance. He always plans these things out. Has to make sure there are no patterns in these reported “accidents”. Has to make sure no one will get hurt and it doesn’t get out of control. He’s well used to it by now, it’s all muscle memory.

Taking a few strides to the side of the house, away from the streetlights, he then crouches down, making sure the flame never dies. On the ground he has prepared a line of gasoline going straight to the house, and inside the streak goes straight to the alone oven in the kitchen. No need to wet the grass next to the gasoline since it’s cold and moist, and the October sun hasn’t dried the grass. He puts the flame to the ground and the gasoline embraces it like an old friend.

This, he thinks, is the best part; watching as the tiny flames travel along the grassy road towards the house, seeing the leading flames disappear into the house and moments later the house is a fiery blaze, coughing out black smoke and the flames.. Oh, the flames. They’re beautiful. Too beautiful for words, they fill him with an unknown, indescribable emotion and he can’t get enough of it.

Although, the minute it takes for the flames to travel their way is crucial to his planning, so as soon as the lighter’s flame connects he rises from his crouch and makes his way to his car, parked just three houses over. As he gets in the car and closes the door a mighty explosion sounds and red lights up the neighbourhood.

A few seconds later he drives by the house in flames, stops, and picks up his burner phone. Admiring his work a few heartbeats, then drives off toward his office. A minute later he dials 911.

As he’s about to step into his office a woman in her early 30s, with long curly brown hair and a determined stride, hurriedly walks up to him, slightly out of breath, “Captain Rory, we just got an alarm about an abandoned building in The Glades being on fire, another freak accident, you coming along?”

“’Course, Ms. Saunders. Wanna ride with me?”, the captain answer with a knowing smirk.

“Never say no to a ride in the Waverider, Captain”, the woman reply, face lighting up.

\---

**10.51PM, 18 October 2015, Star City Police Department**

“Captain Snart, we got another fire, cause unknown. Fire department are already on their way.”

A few seconds passes before Captain Leonard Snart looks up from his laptop he’d been typing away on, and acknowledges the man in a dark brown trench coat that had appeared in his office, seemingly out of nowhere. He’d been too into his work that he’d shut off all noise around him.

“Thank you, Detective Hunter. I’ll go alone on this one, I’ll call in if I need back-up,” Snart calmly reply, slowly starting to pack his things together.

“Alright, are you sure? It’s late and you haven’t gone home the last couple of days, which you should consider doing tonight. You need it,” the detective crosses his arms and lowers his gaze to the ground.

Not saying a word in return, Snart just looks at Hunter directly in his downcast eyes, waiting for them to answer him back. A few beats later the detective’s eyes slowly travel their way back up and meet with the captain’s ice cold gaze. Not being able to hide the flinch he excuses himself and quickly walk out of the office.

20 years in this department and they still haven’t learned, he thinks.

He grabs his bag, hoists it onto his right shoulder and makes his way to the elevators and to his car, making sure to grab a cup of coffee from the coffee machine while waiting for the elevators to come to his floor. He enters the elevator when it opens and rides down to the garage underneath the station. Sipping on his coffee on his way to his car and chugs the remaining half before sitting down and driving off to The Glades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short, but I just wanted an introduction to the characters.
> 
> All comments are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

**11.13, 18 October 2015, The Glades – Star City**

Arriving to the now blackened building still being quenched in water, Snart parks close to the lone fire truck. He gets out, re-tucks and flattens his shirt, rubs his hand over his face and proceeds to walk toward the small group of firefighters. He recognizes most of them. They’re standing next to the one firefighter who’s handling the hose. Another firefighter, he notices, is standing a few steps away looking at the building, as mesmerized. Captain Rory he realizes. No surprise, he has always had a fascination with fire, so he shrugs it off.

“So,” he steps in front of them putting his hands to his hips, “what happened here?” he drawls out.

One of the men to his left reaches up and scratches at his neck, “Uh, another freak accident. Building’s been inhabited and empty for about a year, seems like the previous owners left the oven though. Which exploded, somehow. Haven’t bothered checking the grounds, since that’s your department’s job,” he lazily explains, “speaking of, where’s the rest of your team, Captain?” he asks and leans slightly to the side to look behind Snart toward his police car standing by itself.

The firefighter handling the hose decides the fire is completely out, and that the building is now safe, and turns the hose off and goes to roll it back in.

Snart lets his arms fall to his sides and answers with a shrug, “Just thought I’d do it alone. No need to bring the whole team for something so harmless, and risk having no officers ready to pull out if something else more important happens. I figure the fire department is having a peaceful evening judging by the amount of fighters putting out a single house,” he gives them a smirk and interlocks his hands behind his back.

“Why dont’cha send one of your _servants_ while you can sit in your office, stuffin’ donuts into your black hole of a mouth,” a deep raspy voice retorts from the distance.

“Ah, Captain Rory, you finally decide to join our little chat and stop grieving the flames,” Snart counter, forming a grin and arms coming up to cross over his chest.

Rory walks over to the group, slightly intimidating all just by his presence, and stops a meter in front of Snart and looks him straight in the eyes. Both pairs being levelled, intense and unwavering.

A moment feeling like several minutes of silence is finally broken when Ms. Saunders, who handled the hose, chimes in, “Boys, you could light this tension on fire, please cut the crap and be professional, for once”.

Without breaking eye contact, Rory replies in a deadpan tone, “We’re always professional”, to which the corners of Snart’s mouth goes up, but eyes not conveying a smile. Snart blinks once and turns on his heel and walks away toward his car, without saying a word. He gets in his car and pretends to do some work on the screen connected to the dashboard while waiting for them to drive away.

Rory scoffs and turns to face his team, “’Aight gang, let’s pack it up and leave the rest to the oh so important police captain”.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding something extra to this chapter...

Rory continue his fiery craze and lights up five more houses within the span of three months. Never leaving a trail behind that could lead the police force to him. Or so he thought.

**January 3 2016**

The police department had kept getting anonymous calls once every few weeks reporting about various inhabited houses being on fire. After the third call he made sure to listen to the recordings after each call. It was always the same deep gravelly voice sounding very distant, probably due to a cloth covering the microphone. They were quick calls, stating that there was an abandoned house on fire and what street it was on. Never lasted more than 10 seconds. Snart couldn’t put his finger on what made him feel like he should know who the voice belonged to.

The previous week had been a hectic one. Next to all their day to day work, they had gotten two more calls about a house on fire. Like the person is growing impatient with the cops, like they’re wanting to get caught.

Snart has practically been living in his office three days a week, and has been for about a year, spending his time working on his own projects. He was now sitting in his office chair, or more like lying in his chair, slouched and halfway down the seat. Blueprints and various notes thrown around on the table, laptop standing opened to the side, and two empty coffee cups standing on a piece of paper filled with circles of coffee.

He just couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew who the arsonist was. He’d been up to date with their mystery arsonist and had been to every crime scene. Going around the houses in question more than once each time, he’d noticed that there were always a line of burnt grass going from the lawn to the house. No accidents here. The person hadn’t been overly subtle about their way of lighting the houses on fire. This mystery put both the police and fire departments in great confusion. Why would you light empty houses on fire and call them in yourself?

Oh.

He knew he’d recognized the voice.

Pushing himself up from the chair, almost falling to the floor in turn, he puts all his papers together in a folder, closes his laptop and puts it on top of the pile. Grabbing the two coffee cups on his way out and almost crashing into Detective Hunter.

“Oh, sorry, Sir!” the detective exclaimed, raising his hands up to his chest in a surrendering gesture.

“No worries, no harm done. Although, I _am_ in a hurry, why have you come to my office?” the calm and drone tone telling another story. Snart grabs Hunter’s shoulder with his unoccupied hand and spins them around so that Snart is outside his office and Hunter inside.

“Sir, we’ve got another call regarding our arsonist. You going to take this one as well?”

“That has been my original plan, yes. Where was it this time?” he asked.

Hunter told him the street and offered to take the mugs to the kitchen. Snart gratefully put the cups into Hunter’s hands and took off.

*~*~*

Arriving at the crime scene, this time arriving while the firefighters are still working on putting out the fire, he spots Rory sitting in the driver seat of their fire truck watching the house. Snart parks his car and walks to the truck’s passenger side and rips open the door.

“Hello, _Rory_ ,” he spits out and sits down and slams the door closed, giving the firefighter a dangerous glare.

“Hey! If you damage the truck I’ll damage you,” Rory growls out and responds with an equal glare.

“I really wouldn’t do that if I were you,” adding a mischievous smile to his glare, “We need to talk”.

“Don’t need to talk to ya’ ‘bout anything. Get out of my truck, _Snart_ ,” Rory snarled back, grabbing the steering wheel as to not punch the officer in the face.

Ignoring Rory’s threat, Snart continued, “Fire’s a very beautiful phenomenon”.

Rory grunted in response. Taking that as a queue to keep talking, he did, “It’s just too bad it’s an uncommon thing in an average person’s day to day life. But a firefighter sees it several times a day. For a pyromaniac that’s still too seldom”.

“Get to the point, Einstein”.

“You always look at the flames with such fondness. I know you’re the caller. I know you’re the arsonist. What I can’t figure out though, is why you bother calling them in?”

Seeing no point in defending himself he just shrugged, “What’s it matter to you?”.

Being a bit taken aback by Rory’s deadpan reaction, Snart’s menacing façade faltered a pinch, “You… It doesn’t. I’m just curious,” he confessed without a snarky comeback which, frankly, surprised the arsonist.

“So, yer not gonna arrest me?”

“No, as a matter of fact, I won’t,” Snart stated, façade back up and sly smile on his face, “but I need you to talk to a certain someone”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might keep up with the drawings for scenes I find might need one or feel it fits. Let me know what you think!
> 
> You can find more ColdWave art over at my Tumblr @Caesarsbuddy.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**January 4 2016**

Snart had put a note on the dashboard of the truck and simply said “I suggest you be there,” and taken off, leaving Rory alone with hundreds of thoughts going through his mind about what had just happened.

He was now at the location that was written on the note, which was an abandoned former storage facility for a meat company in The Glades. From where he stood he had a clear route backwards toward the door in case this was a trap. The facility was otherwise mostly empty. Big empty cardboard boxes were stacked against the wall to his left, a small metal box as a room was to his right, probably an old office. A few strides in front of him was a half wall of metal that connected to a full wall. Behind it was empty space, and he could guess you could continue higher up or deeper into the facility through a door on the other side of the wall.

Looking up he saw rusty meat hooks hanging from the ceiling, and broken fluorescent armatures. The broken lights made the facility feel colder than it already was, and the only light source available were the small windows covered in plastic high up on the walls.

“You showed up.”

Directing his attention to the raspy and obviously mechanical voice, Rory now stood a few steps away from a slim man in a blue parka. He had the hood with fur around the edges up over his head, goggles were covering his eyes and the neck of his black turtleneck went up and covered the remaining part of his face.

“Right, who’re you?” Rory asked, squaring his shoulders, and reaching for the small axe he’d brought with him from the station now fastened to his right thigh.

“You’re the ghost that’s been haunting Star City for the past three months, setting fires to houses,” the man paused for a beat to study Rory’s face, “and I’m the police departments worst nightmare.”

Thinking about the man’s words for a few moments he realized what the man meant, “What? Yer that- “

“Captain Cold,” he answered for Rory and, left hand to chest, right arm out to the side and left foot slightly in front of his right, bent downward in a graceful bow, “at your service.”

Rory gave a snort in return, “Cute. What would Cold want with me?”

“To become partners, of course.”

“Why would the police captain wan’ me to team up with another criminal? I thought the man wanted to _catch_ guys like us,” Rory pointed out with scepticism in his voice, and crossed him arms in front of his chest, “not play matchmaker and create more chaos in Star City.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” the mechanical voice drawled out.

The man pulled down the neck of his shirt, which revealed a smirk on his face. The hood of the parka was next to be pulled back and the goggles right after.

“I could not care any less,” the mechanical voice was now human and drawled out the words.

“What the- “ Rory started, surprise and admiration mixed together on his face, “honestly, Snart, I’m not _that_ surprised. No wonder the no-good cops can’t seem to catch the sucker,” he let out a deep chuckle.

Snart raised his shoulders in a shrug, still smirking, “they’re not alone, Rory. So what do you say,” he walked up to Rory and stretched out his right hand towards him, “partners?”

Without hesitation Rory grabbed his hand in a shake, big grin on his face, “Partners.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a flashback, will be hopefully posting that one tomorrow!  
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a flashback/backstory chapter. Enjoy!

**September 2014**

_The fire was too aggressive, running from apartment to apartment rapidly, and within minutes the entire apartment complex was engulfed in flames. Shouts were heard all around. Adults calling for their children, making sure they were all right. Children crying for their parents. It happened fast, but a lot of people managed to get out in time, and the fire department had arrived at one time and had one team helping getting more people out, asking the people already outside if they were missing someone. The other manned the hoses and pumped out water, trying to smother the flames._

_Captain Leonard Snart and his colleagues helped the medics from the hospital to take the most injured to the ambulances. They put shock blankets around people who needed and wanted them. The police department tried, in an apologetic way, to get answers from the residents, asking them if they knew anything, ‘I know this isn’t the best time, you’re all in shock, and it’s late and cold, but anything might help’._

_It was chaos._

_The small park in the middle of the apartment complexes was filled with fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, news vans, reporters, and frantic residents and their neighbours. The fire painting the evening sky red and black, air smelling of ash and_ burnt _, and filled with so much noise._

_The evening dragged into early night, and they asked all those who were uninjured to stay at a friends or any other acquaintances place for the night, and probably a few days for everything to be taken care of. Police officers ran to the complexes that were almost wall-to-wall, about ten metres apart, and asked the residents to sleep away for the night, just in case._

_The firefighters were still attacking the flames with water, after succeeding to wet down around the complex and the surrounding walls, they started from the ground. Four hoses going at the same time._

_Suddenly a shrilling cry was heard above all the noise and many heads whipped around, unable to locate the source due to the noise bouncing between all the objects and walls._

_As Snart turned around he saw a firefighter just arriving to a woman who looked absolutely destroyed; tears streaming down her face, hands covering her mouth, hair a mess, the dress she was wearing had been slightly scorched at the bottom, and her feet were bare but for the ash dusting them grey and black._

_Snart saw the firefighter give a quick nod and began sprinting straight into the burning building in full gear. He was filled with horror, but tried to keep it from showing on the outside as to not alarm the residents. The firefighter was after all doing their job. But still._

_Grabbing a blanket from the ambulance he was stood by, he hastily walked over to the woman now standing on her own, arms around herself. As he got there he introduced himself, put the blanket around her and assured her that everything would be okay._

_“What was the name of the c-.. kind firefighter,” he asked, almost calling the firefighter 'crazy'._

_“Mick. I-I think he said h-he was the captain,” the woman sniffled._

_Not a second after she finished her sentence a mighty explosion blinded and deafened them, pushing them to the ground, not giving him a second to react._

_*~*~*_

_Snart woke up in a hospital bed just a day later with minimal injuries. A nurse walked in and did the routine check-up to make sure he didn’t suffer from amnesia or anything more grave. As soon as the nurse was finished he demanded to know what happened to the firefighter who was in the building at the time of the explosion._

_He was met with a saddened and apologetic look._

_Feeling something bubbled up inside of him and he grabbed the nurse one-handedly around the neck and demanded again, this time a step under screaming, “WHERE IS HE?! WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?!”_

_He stared wide-eyed into the nurse’s eyes with bared teeth and brows tightly knitted together. Hearing himself breathing harder and louder, and feeling his nostrils flare. He snapped out of If when the sound of the heart monitor beeping faster reached his eardrums. He let go of the nurse’s neck, apologizing._

_Swallowing visibly the nurse refrained from reaching up to the hurting neck and croaked out the answer Snart was waiting for, “Mick Rory is currently in the ICU, suffering from third degree burns. He will be here for some time, and he hasn’t woken up yet.”_

_He got the room number from the nurse, got himself checked out and went to visit him._

_Before entering the room, he made sure no one saw him enter, and once inside he made sure no one else was there. He locked the door, turned around, and put his back to the door. The room was bright and calm. The sun was starting to set and cast a bright orange tint to the room through the big window opposite of where he was standing. In the middle of the room was a bed. On it lay Rory, encased in layers of bandages covering most of his body. Even in an unconscious state, a frown made its presence on his face._

_Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Snart walked over to the bed and moved the chair, that was next to the bed’s nightstand, and put it next to the bed and sat down._

_Just sitting there for a few minutes quietly, with the beeping of the heart monitor, he imagined what a surprising image this would be for everyone on the police- and fire department. They were, in fact, rivals. Or that’s what they made it look like. Well, he was sure Rory hated him for real, from the bottom of his heart, but Snart had inevitably fallen to like him. Maybe even fallen in love. Which was ridiculous._

_They had met for the first time nine years ago, formally. They’d of course heard of each other before that, but only by name. They met at a crime scene. Snart was driving around in his police car when he saw a house on fire, and the fire department already there. Reasons unknown to him, Rory had given him a hard time, and he had responded equally in return. Their behaviour continued, and to their colleagues it looked like pure hatred, and named them rivals._

_Careful not to touch any of the bandages, Snart raised his left hand to Rory’s face and, afraid to touch, he let his fingers hovering just above his head. His hand traced his features, never touching, and never taking his eyes off his face. Suddenly he felt a wetness on his cheek. He reached up and touched his fingers to it. He’d been crying. Something unrecognizable left a small hole inside him and he quickly wiped the tears away, stood up and left the room._

_ _

_*~*~*_

_Mick Rory ended up being the hospital for about a year, letting his burns heal in their own pace._

_Meanwhile, Snart tried to fill this hole inside him. He tried to fill it with numerous things, not all legal. He could never quite fill it. As a sort of last resort he turned to crime. Planning heists and executing them by himself. It came naturally to him, as if he’d been doing it his whole life. They gave him a thrill and filled the hole inside him. At a point early in his criminal career, he stole a cold gun from S.T.A.R Labs and not soon after that, the man robbing Star City of treasures got himself a name; Captain Cold._

_During his time hospitalized Rory couldn’t stop dreaming about the flames eating him up, licking his skin, melting it off. He always woke up with sweat in his face, but the dream left no uneasiness as a nightmare would do. Instead he was left with a feeling of completeness and ecstasy._

_When he finally was checked out almost a year from the explosion, he was determined to achieve the same feeling in real life, and not only in his dreams. He started small. A silver lighter always in his pocket, flicking it on and off as soon as he was alone. The fires grew bigger as he couldn’t reach the high he was so desperately chasing. At last he set fire to buildings. But that also meant he had to be careful and plan these fires._

_And that’s when it all started._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Next chapter will continue where last chapter left off, kinda.  
> (If there's any tags I should add, let me know. Remember I'm all new to AO3 and fic writing.)


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